Erect prickly-pear

Opuntia stricta

Opuntia

Cactaceae

Indoor Plants

Zone 4–9

🐾 Pet-Safe

🌱 Beginner Friendly

🏠 Indoor

Erect prickly-pear is a bold, sculptural cactus that thrives in full sun and extremely well-drained soil with minimal watering. Water deeply but infrequently, and never let the plant sit in standing water, as root rot is the primary risk. Handle with care as the spines and tiny glochids can easily embed in skin; wear thick gloves when repotting or moving.

Care Requirements

Care Level

Low

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Moderate

Growth Rate

Moderate

Mature Height

12″ – 36″

Soil

loam

Life Cycle

Perennial

Spacing

36″

Watering Schedule

Every 14-21 Days • Water Thoroughly Then Allow Soil To Dry Out Completely Before Watering Again

Soil pH

7 – 7.5

Temperature

-20° – 90°F

Mature Spread

up to 24″

Root Depth

Medium

Foliage

Medium

Propagation: Seed, Division

Ecology & Origin

Native to

Alabama

Albania

Algeria

Andaman Is.

Angola

Azores

Bahamas

Baleares

Benin

Bermuda

Brazil Northeast

Brazil Southeast

Canary Is.

Cape Provinces

Cayman Is.

China South-Central

China Southeast

Colombia

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Attracts

🐝 Bees

🐝 Butterflies

🐝 Birds

Sources

Data: trefle, usda

Image: trefle.io — Taken Nov 6, 2022 by Rahul Wakare (cc-by-sa)

Hardiness Zones

Check your zone:

Available From (0)

No nurseries currently have this species in stock.